WAEC Christian Religious Knowledge 2013 Past Questions & Answers

According to the creation story in Genesis chapter 1, God created the two great lights on the fourth day. The Bible says He made the greater light (the sun) to rule the day and the lesser light (the moon) to rule the night. This demonstrates God's sovereign power and order in establishing the times and seasons.

Common mistake: Students often confuse the different days of creation and may mistakenly choose 'the firmament', which was created on the second day, not the fourth.

The correct option is D because the creation account in Genesis $1:26-27$ specifically states that God made man in His own image and likeness. This was a unique quality not given to any other part of creation, like animals or plants. This special status is what distinguishes humanity and forms the basis for man's role to have dominion over the earth.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option B, forgetting that God also commanded the sea creatures and birds to be fruitful and multiply in Genesis 1:22.

According to the Bible in Genesis chapter 17, God appeared to Abram to establish the covenant of circumcision. The first verse of that chapter clearly states, 'When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him'. It was during this appearance that God changed his name to Abraham and promised him a son, Isaac, through his wife Sarah.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 75 years because that was Abram's age when God first called him to leave his country, not when God appeared to him the second time to establish the covenant of circumcision.

This question comes from the creation story in Genesis chapter 1. After God created man and woman, the Bible says in verse 28 that He blessed them and gave them their very first instruction. This instruction was to 'be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it', which means to have children, spread across the world, and take charge of it. This command demonstrates God's sovereign power as the Creator who establishes the purpose and role for humanity from the very beginning.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option D because it is also part of God's provision for man in the creation story, but it was said immediately after the first directive to be fruitful and multiply.

According to Genesis 41:51, Joseph named his first son Manasseh, which means 'making to forget'. He did this to acknowledge that God's divine providence had helped him forget all the suffering and hardship he endured, from being sold by his brothers to his time in prison. God's guidance and protection turned his sorrow into joy, allowing him to move past the pain of his former life.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose option D, confusing the meaning of Manasseh's name with that of his second son, Ephraim, which means 'God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction'.

The correct answer is based on the story in Exodus chapter 2. After Moses killed an Egyptian who was mistreating a Hebrew, he realised that his action was known. The Bible states in Exodus 2:15 that when Pharaoh heard of the matter, he sought to kill Moses, which caused Moses to flee from Pharaoh and live in the land of Midian.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose option D because they confuse the timeline; Moses' divine call to save his people happened at the burning bush in Midian, which was after he had already run away from Egypt out of fear.

According to Exodus $17:1-7$, the Israelites were in the Wilderness of Sin when they ran out of water and complained to Moses. God showed his divine providence by instructing Moses to strike a rock at Horeb. When Moses obeyed, water came out for the people to drink, showing God's miraculous care and protection for his people in the desert.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 'Sinai' because the Israelites spent a lot of time near Mount Sinai and received the law there, so they tend to associate most wilderness events with that location.

The correct answer is Abner. According to the Bible in 1 Samuel chapter 26, Abner was the commander of King Saul's army and was therefore responsible for his safety. During an incident in the wilderness of Ziph, David and Abishai found King Saul asleep and unprotected, and David rebuked Abner for failing to guard his master, the Lord's anointed.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose Joab because he was a famous military commander, but he was the commander of David's army, not King Saul's.

The question asks where Solomon showed a lack of wisdom. The correct answer is that he married foreign wives, which was directly against God's law for Israelite kings. According to 1 Kings 11, these wives turned Solomon's heart away from God and led him to worship idols. This disobedience was his greatest failure and showed a lack of true wisdom, ultimately causing God to promise the division of his kingdom.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose option B because his agreements with other nations also involved foreigners, but these were initially a sign of his wisdom in promoting trade and peace, unlike his marriages which led to idolatry.

After King Solomon died, the people of Israel asked his son, Rehoboam, to reduce the heavy taxes and forced labour his father had placed on them. Instead of listening to the wise elders, Rehoboam took the harsh advice of his young friends and promised to be even tougher than his father. This decision to continue and increase his father's oppressive policies (tyranny) directly caused the ten northern tribes to rebel and break away, thus dividing the kingdom.

Common mistake: Students may confuse the long-term spiritual reason for the division, which was Solomon's idolatry, with the immediate political action by Rehoboam that actually triggered the split.

This question is based on the story in 1 Kings 18, where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest on Mount Carmel to prove who the true God was. After God answered Elijah's prayer by sending fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice, the people were convinced of God's supreme power. The Bible records that they fell on their faces and shouted, 'The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God,' which directly matches the correct option.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option D, 'The Lord is to be worshipped,' because while it is a logical conclusion from the event, it is not the exact phrase the people shouted according to the biblical account.

According to the book of Joshua chapter 24, Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel at Shechem for his farewell address. In this final act of leadership, he recounted God's faithfulness to Israel from the time of Abraham. He then challenged the people to choose who they would serve, famously declaring 'as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord'.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose Jordan because the crossing of the Jordan River was a major miracle at the beginning of Joshua's leadership, and they may confuse it with this event at the end of his life.

The correct option is Sisera. According to the book of Judges chapter 4, Sisera was the commander of the army of King Jabin of Canaan, who oppressed the Israelites. The prophetess and judge, Deborah, instructed Barak to lead the Israelite army against Sisera, and God gave them victory.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose Jael because she is the woman who famously killed Sisera after he fled from the battle, but she was not the commander of the Canaanite troops.

This question refers to the story in Daniel chapter 3, where King Nebuchadnezzar set up a golden image and commanded everyone to worship it. The act of worshipping an image or any created thing instead of the one true God is called idolatry. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to do this, showing their faith and courage in God even when faced with death.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose 'abomination' because the Bible often describes idolatry as an abomination to God, but 'idolatry' is the specific name for the act itself.

Prophet Hosea used this comparison to show that Israel's love for God was not strong and lasting. Just as the morning dew disappears very fast when the sun comes out, Israel's loyalty to God would also disappear quickly. This means their relationship with God was temporary and not dependable, making it short-lived.

Common mistake: Students might choose option B, 'Israel did not truly love God as she should', because it is a related idea, but the metaphor of the morning dew specifically points to the short and temporary nature of their love, not just its quality.

This question is about the challenges faced by Nehemiah as a leader when he was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Tobias, an enemy of the Jews, made this statement to mock their efforts and make them feel discouraged. By saying a weak animal like a fox could break their wall, he was taunting and ridiculing them to make them stop building.

Common mistake: Students might choose option B ('stop and disgrace the Jews'), but while stopping them was the ultimate goal, the statement itself was a direct act of taunting and ridicule, making option A the more precise description of the statement's nature.

The prophet Jeremiah, as part of his divine call, often looked back on the early relationship between God and Israel. In Jeremiah 2:2, he describes it like a marriage, where God remembers the devotion and love of Israel in her youth. This memory reflects God's compassion for His people and His hope that they would return to that sincere relationship.

Common mistake: Students may be tempted to choose 'obedience, tolerance and mercy' because these are all positive religious concepts, but Jeremiah's specific imagery in chapter 2 points to the tender, loving relationship of a bride and groom, which is best described by compassion and sincerity.

The correct answer is based on the story in Daniel chapter 6. Despite a decree from King Darius forbidding prayer to anyone but him, Daniel remained faithful to God and continued his daily prayers. This steadfastness, even when facing death in the lions' den, and God's subsequent miraculous protection of him, is what convinced King Darius of God's power.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option B because Daniel was also famous for interpreting mysteries for other kings, but that specific skill was not what convinced King Darius in the story of the lions' den.

In the book of Ezekiel, God frequently addresses the prophet as 'Son of man'. This title is used to emphasize Ezekiel's human nature and mortality, contrasting him with the divine and eternal God who is speaking. It serves as a constant reminder that the powerful message he delivers comes not from him, a mere mortal, but directly from God Almighty.

Common mistake: Students may incorrectly choose 'humility' because being called 'Son of man' does humble the prophet, but the primary meaning of the phrase itself refers to his status as a human being, not the virtue of humility.

In the book of Ezekiel, God called him to be a prophet to the rebellious people of Israel. Because the people were stubborn and 'hard-headed', God promised to make Ezekiel's forehead hard, which is a figure of speech. This meant God would give him the divine courage and strength needed to face the people without fear or intimidation, fully equipping him for his difficult mission.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option B because it uses the word 'harden', but the primary meaning here is about giving courage, not just making him physically tough or emotionally unfeeling.

The question requires the specific wording from Matthew's account of Jesus' baptism. In Matthew 3:17, after Jesus came up out of the water, a voice from heaven said, 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' Option B correctly quotes the beginning of this statement, making it the right answer.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose option C, 'thou art my beloved son...', because this is the wording used in the Gospels of Mark and Luke, but the question specifically asks for Matthew's account.

The story of the Centurion is found in Matthew 8 and Luke 7. The Centurion told Jesus that he did not need to come to his house, but to just speak the word and his servant would be healed. This showed an extraordinary level of belief, or faith, in Jesus' divine power and authority, which Jesus himself praised as being greater than any he had found in Israel.

Common mistake: Students might choose 'Compassion' because the Centurion cared deeply for his sick servant, but the key virtue Jesus praised was the Centurion's exceptional faith in His power to heal from a distance.

The healing of the centurion's servant was mainly a response to the centurion's great faith, not just an act of compassion. Jesus was so amazed by the Roman soldier's faith that He said He had not seen such faith in all of Israel, and He performed the miracle to honour this belief. The other miracles, like feeding the hungry crowds and healing the paralytic, were more direct acts of compassion for people's immediate physical suffering.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly think that because a healing occurred, it must be an act of compassion, but they forget that the main lesson from the story of the centurion's servant was about the power of great faith.

The Parable of the Wheat and Tares, found in Matthew 13, directly addresses the mixture of good and bad people in the world, which represents the church. In the story, an enemy sows tares (weeds) among the good wheat, and the owner instructs his servants to let both grow together until the harvest. This illustrates that both believers (wheat) and unbelievers or evil people (tares) will coexist within the church until the final judgment, when God will separate them.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose the Parable of the Prodigal Son because it features a 'bad' character, but its main lesson is about repentance and forgiveness, not the coexistence of good and bad people in the church.

When Jesus called his first disciples, who were fishermen, he told them he would make them 'fishers of men'. This was a metaphor for their new mission. Instead of catching fish, their new job was to 'catch' people by bringing them into God's kingdom, which they would do by spreading the teachings of Jesus.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option A, thinking that becoming a disciple automatically means training to be a Rabbi, but the phrase 'catch men' points specifically to an active mission of evangelism, not just religious study.